Boundary Adjustment Frequently Asked Questions

The Woodbury Community, currently assigned to Portola High School, is being recommended for a high school boundary adjustment beginning in the 2028-29 school year. The proposed adjustment would apply to:

• Current students, 6th-grade and below, residing in the Woodbury Community boundary, regardless of current school attendance (school choice).   

The proposed adjustment would not apply to:

• Students living in the Woodbury Community who are currently attending Portola High School or Jeffrey Trail Middle School in grades 7-12.
• Students living outside the Woodbury community. 

Please note that there are no proposed boundary adjustments for elementary or middle schools assigned to the Woodbury Community.

Families with a sibling attending Portola High School at the time when the incoming student will be entering Portola High School are subject to the District’s Sibling Rule. 

Sibling Rule Examples:

Eligible - Incoming student, beginning with the 2028-29 school year, must have a sibling concurrently enrolled in grades 9-12 at Portola High School.

Not Eligible - Incoming student, beginning with the 2028-29 school year, who do not have a sibling concurrently enrolled at Portola High School. 

In accordance with IUSD’s Sibling Rule, an incoming student, beginning with the 2028-29 school year, must have a sibling concurrently enrolled in grades 9-12 at Portola High School. Please see the following charts for more information.

2025–26 School Year Chart (Future-Looking):

This chart illustrates which students will be eligible to attend Portola High School in the 2028-29 school year under the Sibling Rule, based on their current grade levels in the 2025-26 school year.

* Not applicable to current 12th graders, as the Sibling Rule applies only when there is a three-year or less grade-level gap between siblings.

2028–29 School Year Chart (Implementation Year):

This chart shows the actual grade levels of students eligible to attend Portola High School under the Sibling Rule during the 2028-29 school year.

After reviewing this information, if you have additional questions, please email info@iusd.org.

No. Once a student is accepted under the Sibling Rule, families only need to complete the School of Choice application once, when the student is in 8th grade. For more information, please visit our Intra-District/School Choice webpage.  

No. Once a student is accepted to Portola High School under the Sibling Rule, they may continue attending Portola through graduation.

For more than a decade, Irvine has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation, and our student population continues to rise, particularly in the Great Park Neighborhoods. To keep pace with this development and address the needs of our students and families, IUSD continues to engage in long-term school and facilities planning. 

While IUSD elementary, PK-8, and middle schools serving these communities can accommodate current and future students, Portola High School is the only high school assigned to this area, and it’s rapidly exceeding capacity.  If no changes are made, Portola High School could reach 3,600 students by 2030 — nearly the equivalent of adding another high school to the campus, making it one of the most populated high schools in Orange County on a footprint designed for far fewer students. 

IUSD Board Policy sets the target for high schools at an average of 2,200 students, with a peak of 3,200 students, to support student well-being, equitable opportunities, and safety. After careful analysis of enrollment and school and program capacity, our staff is recommending that the Board of Education approve a boundary adjustment. This adjustment would reassign IUSD families living in the Woodbury Community from Portola High School to Irvine High School (their originally assigned school) beginning with the 2028-29 school year. This proactive measure is designed to balance enrollment across campuses and promote a safe, positive and engaging learning environment for all students. 

The boundary adjustment would support enhanced experiences for students, staff, and families, including opportunities for increased participation in activities and programs, such as academics, athletics, visual and performing arts, student leadership, clubs, and more, while strengthening community connections. 

It will also help balance enrollment across campuses, maintain safe schools, and decrease traffic and congestion on and around our school sites. 

To learn more, visit iusd.org/BoundaryAdjustment, which includes the latest updates, additional information, a survey, and a brief video with more details.

IUSD always plans carefully to support our students, schools, and staff. However, if this boundary adjustment is not made, it could present challenges to:

• Safety and Wellness: Increased traffic complexity, more demanding emergency planning, and potential limits on staff’s ability to closely monitor student well-being.
• Opportunity Access: Increased competition for participation in athletics, performing arts, career and technical education (CTE), leadership programs, and specialized facilities.
• Community: Roads, parking, neighborhoods, and nearby public and private spaces may face additional use and congestion before, during, and after school hours.

Please view this brief video for more details.

For more than a decade, Irvine has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. To keep pace with this development and address the needs of our students and families, IUSD continues to engage in long-term school and facilities planning. Once IUSD is made aware of developments approved by the City of Irvine, we work with the developers. This includes the following process, which is data-driven:

Data Collection and Analysis

• Existing Enrollment: Determine the number of students currently enrolled in each grade.
• Historical Trends: Analyze how enrollment has changed over the past 3-5 years.
• Proposed Housing: Assess how new housing developments will add additional students to the District.

Enrollment Projections

• Cohort Progression: Assess how many students are likely to advance from one grade to the next.
• Residential Impact Models: Estimate how many students will come from new housing projects, when they will arrive, and which schools they are likely to attend.
• Open Enrollment Analysis: Evaluate where students currently live versus where they attend school.
• Geographic Information Software (GIS): Integrate the above data to model and predict future enrollment based on historical trends and projected variables.

Refining the Model

• Review: Demographers, staff, and school principals conduct a review to validate the data and assumptions.
• Scenario Planning: Explore potential scenarios, such as boundary adjustments or program additions and relocations.

Please Note: IUSD does not approve or plan developments. This is the purview of the City of Irvine.

IUSD is committed to transparent communication. Per Administrative Regulation 5116, boundary adjustments are proposed at least 15–24 months before implementation to allow time for feedback and planning. In this instance, IUSD extended the notification period to 34 months to provide families with as much time as possible to plan. 

IUSD is committed to supporting feedback from the Woodbury community. Along with the November 3 Community Forum, IUSD continues to offer two open surveys for families to submit questions and feedback. The Boundary Adjustment webpages and FAQs are regularly updated, and staff will keep families informed as new information becomes available. 

Additional important dates and feedback opportunities include:

• November 18, 2025: Fall Facilities Study Session (Open to the Public)
• December 9, 2025: Board Meeting to Decide the Boundary Adjustment
• December 10, 2025: Notification to Families of Board Decision
   

In 2014, the Board of Education approved the reassignment of the Woodbury Community to Portola High School from Irvine High School to balance enrollment at Portola High School, which opened in 2016. 

Based on the data provided by the developer, enrollment projections indicated that if all planned future homes were built, Portola High School’s enrollment would reach and exceed 3,600 students by the 2022-23 school year. However, at the time, there was uncertainty about whether or when these future developments would be completed. To maintain balanced campuses, the District reassigned students from the Woodbury Community, who had been attending Irvine High School, to Portola High School. 

Please note, IUSD does not approve or have control over development. We utilize the information we have available at the time from the developer and City of Irvine to inform our enrollment projections and planning process.

The Woodbury Community was previously assigned to Irvine High School because it has the available capacity and falls within Board Policy for high school size. It is also located closer to the Woodbury community (1.8 miles) and serves students matriculating from Jeffrey Trail Middle School. 

Yes, in 2017, similar to this proposed adjustment for the Woodbury Community, the Board of Education approved the reassignment of the Stonegate and Los Olivos Communities to their previously assigned high schools.

Stonegate was reassigned to Northwood High School, and Los Olivos was reassigned to University High School. 

In 2014, the Board of Education approved the reassignment of the Woodbury Community to Portola High School from Irvine High School to balance enrollment at Portola High School, which opened in 2016.

Based on the data provided by the developer, enrollment projections indicated that if all planned future homes were built, Portola High School’s enrollment would reach and exceed 3,600 students by the 2022-23 school year. However, at the time, there was uncertainty about whether or when these future developments would be completed. To maintain balanced campuses, the District reassigned students from the Woodbury Community, who had been attending Irvine High School, to Portola High School.

Please note, IUSD does not approve or have control over development. We utilize the information we have available at the time from the developer and the City of Irvine to inform our enrollment projections and planning process.

The Woodbury Community was previously assigned to Irvine High School because it has the available capacity, and falls within Board Policy for high school size. It is also located closer to the Woodbury community (1.8 miles) and serves students matriculating from Jeffrey Trail Middle School. 

In contrast, Northwood High School has no available capacity, and reassigning Woodbury students there would exceed Board Policy for school size. Northwood High School is located farther from the Woodbury community (2.2 miles) and serves students coming from Sierra Vista Middle School.

Under the proposed boundary adjustment, all families living in the Woodbury Community, including "Woodbury East," would be assigned to Irvine High School beginning with the 2028–29 school year. While we understand that Woodbury East is closer to the pedestrian bridge, the purpose of this adjustment is to reduce enrollment at Portola High, which is projected to exceed its capacity in the coming years.

Assigning Woodbury East to Irvine High School supports this goal while keeping student cohorts together through Woodbury Elementary, Jeffrey Trail Middle School, and Irvine High School. It also ensures that all students have access to a safe, supportive, and well-resourced campus with the necessary capacity to sustain high-quality academic and extracurricular programs.

Mello Roos special taxes help fund public facilities such as schools, roads, and parks in developing communities. However, the special taxes collected within a Community Facilities District (CFD) are not required to provide a direct or exclusive benefit to the specific properties that pay them. In other words, families paying a particular CFD are not guaranteed attendance at a school built with funds from that same CFD. However, IUSD does provide priority access to neighborhood schools financed through CFD bonds for properties paying Mello Roos special taxes within the respective community.  
 

The IUSD Board of Education has been intentional about ensuring that students across all schools have access to high quality facilities and learning experiences, regardless of where they live.
 

The special taxes collected within a Community Facilities District (CFD) are not required to provide a direct or exclusive benefit to the specific properties that pay them. In other words, families paying a particular CFD are not guaranteed attendance at a school built with funds from that same CFD. However, IUSD does provide priority access to neighborhood schools financed through CFD bonds for properties paying Mello Roos special taxes within the respective community. See the following question for more information.

The special taxes collected within a Community Facilities District (CFD) are not required to provide a direct or exclusive benefit to the specific properties that pay them. In other words, families paying a particular CFD are not guaranteed attendance at a school built with funds from that same CFD. However, IUSD does provide priority access to neighborhood schools financed through CFD bonds for properties paying Mello Roos special taxes within the respective community. While IUSD is not under any statutory or contractual obligation to ensure funding follows students, in the event that a sufficient number of students attend a school that is either not funded by a CFD or is funded by a CFD outside of their community, the school of attendance is eligible to receive CFD funding augmentations. Thus, the funding follows the students. 

The IUSD Board of Education has been intentional about ensuring that students across all schools have access to high quality facilities and learning experiences, regardless of where they live.

For more than a decade, Irvine has been one of the fastest-growing cities in the state and nation. Subsequently, IUSD has grown to meet the needs of our city. This growth has both positive and challenging implications.  A positive benefit is that this growth has created fiscal stability in Irvine that has enabled the District to attract and retain high-quality teachers, sustain key instructional programs and maintain our facilities.  This is particularly beneficial at a time when many school districts are struggling, have laid off teachers and are looking at instructional cuts. While this growth greatly benefits Irvine schools and students, we must also address how to equitably accommodate increasing numbers of new families and students in the short term with our existing five comprehensive high schools.

As responsible stewards of taxpayer funds, IUSD cannot build a new comprehensive high school when long-term enrollment trends do not support the need for one. Communities that rapidly expand eventually contract as students age out of PK-12 schools while homeowners remain in place, making it financially imprudent to build a costly new high school that would later be under-utilized. In other words, constructing a comprehensive high school at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars to support short-term enrollment needs would have serious negative financial impacts for generations of IUSD students.

As one of the top 5 percent high schools in California, Irvine High offers a full range of academic, arts, and athletic programs comparable to all IUSD high schools and has the capacity to support students from the Woodbury Community. See the Irvine High School section of this FAQ to learn more about the school’s academic programs and comprehensive facilities.  

The District continually invests in all of our school campuses to ensure equitable access to high-quality instruction, facilities, and extracurricular opportunities.
 

Yes, through IUSD's School Choice process, you may request enrollment at Irvine High School.

No. The proposed boundary adjustment would apply to all current 6th-grade students and below living in the Woodbury Community, with exceptions for families who qualify under the Sibling Rule.

Students attending Woodbury Elementary will continue to attend Jeffrey Trail Middle School and, if the reassignment is approved, will matriculate with their peers to Irvine High School, along with students from the Cypress Village Community. We greatly understand the importance of existing friendships. This adjustment is designed to keep student cohorts together, support continuity and connection as they advance through elementary, middle, and high school, and ultimately attend a high school with the capacity to meet their needs and offer a full range of academic, athletic, and extracurricular opportunities. 

Families may submit a School of Choice application for any IUSD school. However, both Portola High School and Northwood High School currently do not have the capacity to support school choice requests. These schools are operating at or near enrollment thresholds established by Board Policy to maintain safe and balanced learning environments.

For more information, please visit the Intra-District/School of Choice webpage.

The Intra-District/School Choice process for middle and high schools is based on a random lottery, not a first-come, first-served system.

The initial lottery window to apply opens each January, and the wait list lottery window runs from April to June each year. Based on requests submitted by the deadline, a random and unbiased lottery is conducted. Requests are not prioritized by submission time or based on specific circumstances.

Families will be notified by mid-February if their request is approved or if their student has been placed on a wait list. Wait-listed families will only be contacted if a transfer spot becomes available before the end of the school year, so please plan for your student to attend their assigned school unless otherwise notified.

Please note: School Choice requests made to closed-enrollment schools without a concurrently enrolled sibling are not processed. 

For more information, visit the Intra-District/School Choice webpage. Also see the District's School Choice FAQs.

IUSD is hosting a Community Forum:

Date and Time: Monday, November 3, 6-7:30 p.m.

Location: Performing Arts Center at Irvine High School, 4321 Walnut Avenue, Irvine, CA 92604 (Map and Parking Directions)

At the forum, district staff will:

• Present detailed information about the proposed boundary adjustment
• Answer questions from parents and families
• Collect feedback to present to the Board of Education

To submit questions and share feedback in advance of the Community Forum, please take a moment to complete this brief survey.  

For the latest information, including this FAQ, an informational video, and to submit questions or feedback through a brief survey, please visit: iusd.org/BoundaryAdjustment 

To submit questions and share feedback in advance of the Community Forum, please take a moment to complete this brief survey.

Next steps and important dates include: 

• November 3, 2025: Community Forum 6-7:30 p.m. at Irvine High School in the Performing Arts Center (Map and Parking Directions)
  • A reminder will be sent prior to the Community Forum, including a survey link for families who are unable to attend, to provide their feedback.
• November 2025: District to review community feedback
• November 18, 2025: Fall Facilities Study Session - Open to the Public
• December 9, 2025: Board Meeting to Decide the Boundary Adjustment
• December 10, 2025: Notification to Families of Board Decision

Please visit irvinehigh.iusd.org and irvinehigh.iusd.org/About for a comprehensive overview of Irvine High School programs, including information about academics, arts, athletics, student and parent resources and information, awards and honors and much more! Click here to see Irvine High At-A-Glance.

Yes. In addition to being a Measure E school, Irvine High has benefited from a range of facility upgrades that enhance teaching, learning and campus life. These include specialized instructional spaces, athletics and recreation facilities, student wellness and activity spaces, and updates to infrastructure and safety features. Below is an overview of Measure E projects and other campus enhancements, along with facility highlights:

• Classrooms have been updated with new audio/visual systems, flexible furniture, lighting, HVAC, carpet, and paint
• New building with classrooms and collaboration spaces
• Enhanced science labs with updated equipment
• New Performing Arts Center with 650 seats, Black Box, state-of-the-art audio, lighting, and control systems
• New Living Skills classroom to serve students in Special Education
• New WellSpace to support student wellness and mental health
• Renovated Auto Shop with new tools and equipment
• Outdoor amphitheater
• The largest football stadium in IUSD with upgraded turf and track
• Full array of on-site athletic facilities for all sports
• Two gymnasiums, including a modern practice gym
• Four swimming pools
• Student Union Building
• Expanded parking lot with EV charging stations and bike racks for accessibility and sustainability 

The school is also home to Olympic-quality pools (Woollett Aquatics Center) and a stadium, both of which will serve as training sites for 2028 Olympic athletes. 

To learn more about Measure E in IUSD, visit iusd.org/MeasureE. Irvine High is scheduled to receive additional updates to classroom buildings prior to 2028. School and District staff are also working with the City of Irvine to expand parking along Walnut.  

As one of the top 5 percent high schools in California, Irvine High offers a full range of academic, arts, and athletic programs comparable to all IUSD high schools. Visit irvinehigh.iusd.org, irvinehigh.iusd.org/About or the school’s Irvine High At-A-Glance document.

The District continually invests in all of our school campuses to ensure equitable access to high-quality instruction, facilities, and extracurricular opportunities.

IUSD will continue its transition and articulation efforts, such as the coordination between elementary, middle, and high schools to support students as they move from one level to the next. Similar to the support provided to the Cypress Village community, we’ll work closely with Irvine High School, Jeffrey Trail Middle School, Woodbury Elementary School, and the Woodbury community to make this transition as smooth as possible.

These efforts include orientation events, family nights (such as 8th Grade Family Night), open houses, and other opportunities for families to connect and learn more. Through these opportunities, families and students will be able to meet and speak with Irvine High's principal, assistant principals, teachers, counselors, coaches, and staff. 

Irvine High School is in the top five percent of high schools in California. To learn more about the school, visit the school's website, including the About page, which provides information about Awards and Honors, Notable Alumni, and more!

Each spring, every IUSD high school assesses the needs of its students, staff, and families to identify potential additions or changes to its course of study, ensuring alignment with the needs and interests of its specific school community.

Over time, needs assessments, enrollment trends, and stakeholder input, have shaped distinct course offerings and programs at each of IUSD’s five comprehensive high schools.

As boundary adjustments occur and new communities join a school, their interests and needs are also surveyed, which may lead to future updates in course offerings and programs.

Recognized for its strong academics, arts, athletics, and student leadership programs and community, Irvine High School is ranked among the top five percent of high schools in California. Like all IUSD schools, Irvine High is committed to continuous improvement to meet the needs and interests of its students.

Each year, IUSD and Irvine High staff assess academic programs, student achievement data, and course offerings to ensure they align with the District’s high standards and the goals of the school community. As enrollment shifts, Irvine High School administrators will continue to assess resources, staffing, and support necessary to sustain the high-quality educational experiences that define all IUSD schools.

The Woodbury Community is geographically closer to Irvine High School, approximately 1.8 miles away, compared to about 2.8 miles to Portola High School, making it closer than any other community currently assigned to Portola High School.

There is a clearly defined, direct path of travel between Woodbury and Irvine High School, including a dedicated bicycle and pedestrian lane and a shared bicycle lane and sidewalk.

IUSD will share suggested safe routes to Irvine High School with families to enable them to review optional travel routes. In the meantime, please see the image below.

Image

Yes. Irvine High School has the capacity to support additional students under the proposed adjustment. Unlike Portola High School—which is projected to exceed 3,600 students by 2030 if no adjustment is made, well above Board Policy 7112’s target of 2,200 students and peak of 3,200—Irvine High has space available and a larger overall campus footprint due to its shared-use facilities with the City of Irvine.

With a current student enrollment of 1,900, Irvine High can comfortably support additional incoming students over time from current feeder schools and the Woodbury Community. Additionally, Irvine High has benefited from Measure E investments and recent campus enhancements, including upgraded instructional spaces, student activity areas, athletics and recreation facilities, and safety and infrastructure improvements. These upgrades further support the school’s ability to welcome new students while maintaining a high-quality learning environment.

In short, Irvine High has both the space and facilities to accommodate additional students, while the adjustment helps ensure that no single high school becomes overcapacity and that students across the District continue to have access to a balanced, student-centered experience.